Saturday, 10 March 2012

Dhoban and Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji

Assam state had remained a great headache for the
Mughals. Each Mughal Emperor had tried to conquer it but failed.

In 1658 A.D. Rajas of Cooch Bihar and Assam seized the Mughal district Kamrup.
Then Aurangzeb deputed Mir Jumla to fight against the Rajas of Cooch Bihar and
Assam. He fought very bravely and captured the capitals of both Rajas. But he
could not rule the area for long time. Ahoms the ruling dynasty of Assam again
captured their capitals defeating the Mughals.

When Mir Jumla died, Shayista Khan was appointed as
the Governor of Assam. He again captured the all out posts. But the Ahom King
Chakardhawaj again recovered all his lost territories. He refused to become a
subject of Aurangzeb. Then Aurangzeb appointed Raja Ram Singh son of Mirza Jai
Singh as the commander of the Mughal and Rajput forces and asked him to attack
Raja Chakardhawaj. But during that time Assamees also captured Gauhati. Raja
Ram Singh marched towards Assam leading a strong army. But Kamrup Desh was
considered as the centre of witchcraft. In order to ward off from the evil
effects of witchcraft he wanted the help of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. So he first
went to Patna. Reaching there he met Mata Nanaki Ji and Mata Gujri Ji. When he
was told that the Guru had gone to Bengal, Ram Singh proceeded towards Dhaka.

Reaching Dhaka Raja Ram Singh met Guru Tegh Bahadur
Ji and paid him homage with great respect. Then they discussed the political
condition of the country. Raja Ram Singh requested the Guru for the help. He
told him that his army was afraid of the magic and witchcraft of Kamrup. Then
the Guru took leave of the devotees and along with his followers rode towards
Dhubari.

Reaching at Dhubari Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji camped at
the shrine of Guru Nanak Ji. When Raja Chakardhawaj heard that a large Mughal
army had been marching towards Assam in order to attack him, he made elaborate
military preparations to meet the army. He also pressed into service many
magicians and witches, who were expert in their arts in order to scare the
enemy.

There also lived a woman named as Dhoban. She
possessed miracle powers. The real name of this Witch was Neta. She belonged to
Goalpura. She was expert in miracle making. When the King called him for help then'
she vowed that she would perish the army of the Mughal with miracle powers,
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji sat at a higher place at the bank of river Brahmputra. He
asked Raja Singh and his army to stand behind him. But some Mughals considering
themselves very wise camped in the low areas. They were thinking that they
would be saved from arrows and bullets of the army of Raja Chakardhawj.
At night Dhoban using her witchcraft flooded the water of river Brahamputra and
the Mughals camping in the low areas were washed away with their belongings.
But when she found that the Guru and the army of Ram Singh remained unaffected,
she hurled a twenty six feet long stone, the stone came flying across the river
like a missile and struck ground near Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. It struck the
ground so hard that nearly half of it penetrated into the ground and about
thirteen feet remained standing out of the ground. Even to-day this stone is
standing there in the same position.

When Dhoban witchcraft found that the large stone
had done no damage to Guru Ji and his associates, then she pulled a big tree
along with its roots and hurled it towards Guru Ji. The tree also fell near
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and was dug into the ground along with its roots and
remained alive and green. That tree of is still standing there.

When the Raja Chakardhawaj saw that Dhoban
witchcraft had done no damage to Guru Ji and the army then he sent Dhoban to
meet Guru Ji. Dhoban came and fell at the feet of Guru Ji. She requested the
Guru that two Rajas should reconcile with each other. The Guru accepted her
request and asked her to send Raja Chakardhawaj to meet him. When Raja
Chakardhawaj came, the Guru held separate meetings with them and impressed upon
them to reconcile. Guru Ji reconciled Both Rajas and both celebrated the peace
between them.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji asked the soldiers to bring
red clay in order to raise a high mould of earth. Soldiers of both sides agreed
to bring five shields full of earth and they raised a very high mould. This
high platform could be seen from a distance of fifteen miles. Later on Raja
built a shrine on that raised platform. This platform is known as Gurdwara
Thara Sahib or Damdama Sahib.